This Is How A Guardian Dies
by didsomeonesayventus
Summary: Jack's been feeling off lately... REALLY off... maybe the dying kind of off... first RotG fic, so be nice! I'm used to writing KH XD MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. T for some maturer themes and things being discussed. Jack/Tooth if you squint. After popular demand I am continuing!
1. Dependant

North was busily working on some new toys, working on this years Christmas. He went over his plans with his usual childlike excitement, even reading his list over a bit, then heard the quiet crackling of frost. He glanced at his windows, seeing the beautifully intricate and unique designs creeping over them. The room became colder by several degrees. North chuckled "So, Jack, even now you're trying to break and enter my workshop."

It had been years since the boy was initiated as a Guardian, years since the whole fiasco with Pitch, and yet he still didn't like knocking whenever he came over.

"Well, you don't have a rule about knocking." Came his usual laugh that was probably a little too deep for his youthful face. Funnily enough, North couldn't find him "And didn't you say I was welcome here whenever?"

"Yes, I did, but Frost, I do appreciate knocking." He sighed.

He brushed away some more frost that creeped onto his desk "Jack, stop that."

"Sorry..."

North blinked at how sad he sounded. He glanced down at his belly, not liking the feeling welling up inside of it. He then asked "Jack, can you come out? At least tell me where you are."

Jack laughed sadly "Nah, I've been missing out on beauty sleep, I don't think you want to see me." There he went, joking around when he was avoiding conflict.

"Frost-"

"Fine, fine..." He then softly landed on the plush carpet in front of North.

Indeed, he looked terrible. Now that he was closer, North could hear a slight wheeze coming from him, and the icicle that seemed to almost be dribbling down his chin was far from reassuring. His feet looked frost-bitten, as did his hands. Not to mention his skin was almost transparently white with not a single pinch of color anywhere and his hair, staff, and clothes were covered in more ice than he remembered.

"MOI DETI FROST!" North boomed in surprise. The whole workshop halted, staring at the boy. Jack winced deeply, leaning on his staff more than usual. He then grinned as much as he could- North was still bothered by that icicle -and waved his hand with a flourish "Here I am, Ta dah~!" He then started coughing profusely, holding up a finger in a signal of "gimme a few moments". He duobled over, still coughing, then stood, taking deep, wheezing breaths. He took a moment to collect himself, then said very plaintively and simply

"North, I think I'm dying."

North set aside his things, walking over and shaking his head "Frost, you're a Gaurdian, immortal-"

"North, having died before I am pretty sure I am." Jack said stiffly before once again leaning over and coughing. He leaned on his companion for support, his coughing racking and heaving his body. "Yeah- pretty sure- this- is- death." Jack got out between coughs.

North patted his back "Come now, you need to sit down." He called out to his workers "We're fine! get back to work!" Jack sighed "North, I'm serious, I might be dying-"

"You're just sick, that's all-"

Jack shook him off "WE DON'T JUST GET SICK NORTH!" He coughed some more, then sighed, leaning against his staff again "Okay, maybe I am just sick, but if that's so what would happen to you-"

"Go see Toothiana then."

Jack gave him a confused look "What would Tooth-"

North shrugged "She's the closest thing you can have to a doctor."

Jack smiled a little, then soon drifted up as a breeze swept through the workshop "I guess..." He then drifted downward "Hey North, I've been noticing... Belief's been falling down..." North held his shoulder "Frost, it'll only be a phase-"

"What if it isn't...?" Jack took a deep breath "I don't want to be alone again..." North hugged him "I won't let it come to that." He then gently pushed him on his way "Now go see Tooth about that cough."

Jack smiled a little, then when his back was turn to North he darkly muttered under his breath "I'm like some kind of crack addict-"

"Excuse me, what?" North was very intolerant of such unchild-friendly discussions here at Santoff Clausen. Jack said a little louder and angrier "I'm like some kind of crack addict! Just get a sudden dip in belief and it's like I'm relapsing or something!" He put a hand in his hoodie's pocket as he shook his head "I've seen enough of those people out on the streets to know the signs."

North shook his head "Jack, you're just going through a low phase like the rest of us have, it WILL pass, okay? Now go see Tooth, I have work to do."

Jack flew off, albeit a little unsteadily "Yeah, fine..." As he flew out into the night, he turned back at Santoff Claussen sadly

"I get it. I'm not wanted when I'm on my last legs."

* * *

Tooth was examining her precious teeth, making sure every little molar was properly organized and babbling off directions to her fairies and teaching Baby Tooth- did she mention this was all at once? Because it was. She didn't notice Jack slipping into her domain, heck, didn't even acknowledge his presence until he sent a soft snowball at her.

"Jack! Don't do that when I'm working!" She snapped at him, whirling around and diving into his face "I'm a very busy person and- and..." She trailed off upon seeing how terrible he looked. He smiled a little- oh those poor teeth now glittered from frost instead of perfectly kept enamel -and sighed "Hey, I've had a bad cough lately could you-"

"Of course, now say ahh!" She said as cheerily as she could. She was VERY sure there wasn't supposed to be an icicle hanging out of anyone's mouth regardless of magic. Jack muttered "Better not choke me while you fangirl over my teeth..." Then opened his mouth wide "AAAHH."

Toothiana felt her jaw drop, and heard a few plinks as some of her fairies fainted. "Sweet Saint Apollonia..." Jack closed his mouth, asking annoyedly "What? Are my teeth too beautiful-"

"Jack... Your whole mouth is frozen."

She trembled at the sight of frost creeping over his esophagus and mouth and teeth, almost like some kind of virus. Tooth felt like the wind was knocked out of her. How on earth could anything like this happen? Jack rubbed his throat "My breath has felt kinda icy recently..." Tooth stared at his frost-bitten hand in horror. Jack then sighed "So I was right..." He then started coughing.

Tooth waved her hand dismissively "You just have some kind of illness-"

"Tooth, less and less people are believing in me now."

She shrugged "Well, then you just revert to your mortal form-" she froze, and felt her feet touch the ground "Sweet Saint Apollonia again..." She then asked frantically "Jack, you died before-"

"I know." He turned from her, tucking his hood up and over his head "I _am_ dying..." She then said hurriedly "W-we can fix this-"

"How on earth can we get people to believe in me? I'm just the guy who keeps winter up, no biggie... nothing to note. They already have their stupid science about the seasons...!" he said bitterly. Tooth held his shoulder "Jack-"

"I gotta go." He shook her off and was carried away by his wind.

* * *

He stared at the lake below him. HIS lake. The lake he DIED in. If he squinted he could still see his limp corpse, perfectly preserved by the cold. He sighed, and clutched his staff despite his hand ringing out in pain. He glared at the moon "Oh, so you planned this?!"

It didn't reply.

Jack stood, pacing and already used to his feet feeling like he was walking on knives "So YOU planned this? Me becoming a Guardian only to lose almost all my belief a few years later and DYING?!" He sobbed frustratedly "I have only a week at most the way people are letting me go!" he then screamed at the moon "HOW COULD YOU?! I FINALLY GOT SOME RECOGNITION! SOME LOVE! NOW IT'S ALL BEING TAKEN AWAY!"

He panted, staring at how nothing had changed in those gentle moonbeams. After three hundred years, he should've known:

They never would for **_him_**.

He clutched his staff, tears pouring over and freezing on his skin "You never told me anything, then you gave me a chance, and now I'm gonna _die!_" he glared at the heavens again "Did it ever occur to you I'm just a _kid?!_" He took a struggling, wheezing breath "I just want to be recognized... to be loved..." then a soft croak

"I'm not ready to die yet..."

Still as silent as ever.

Jack the flew off, leaving his body behind "I'll go waste what little time I have left thanks to you..." He glared back at the moon

"Just give me a break, I may be three hundred and twenty-ish, but I'm still the Guardian of Fun, a kid at heart. Kids weren't meant to deal with this shit."

* * *

Woo, first RotG fic and I haven't even seen the movie yet ^_^* Leaving the ending ambiguous so you can draw your own conclusion on whether or not Jack survived. I hope I got the characters right... my only sources were Tumblr and TvTropes. (Ohgodthisreallysucksdoesn'tit?) Oh well, a little bonus for you guys, the Saint Tooth mentions is considered the patron Saint of dentists ;)


	2. Dying

Jack was now forlornly sitting on his staff, perched on top of a house like some broken bird who couldn't fly. His eyes were still sunken, skin almost translucent and frost bitten. He heard a voice or two below, muffled

"Hey Jamie, could I have some help with this?"

"Sure, mom."

He rubbed his face, tired and worn. Even more than he had been. Perhaps on the brink of tears. Hs hand lingered on the icicle that still dripped from his mouth almost like blood. Maybe he should go to the others, call on a meeting for all of this-

A shimmering strand of golden sand glided around him. He smiled vacantly, already feeling the sweet warmth of happy dreams, and touched the dream-sand-

It turned pitch black at his touch, a Nightmare instantly whinnying to life. In a panic, Jack quickly flew up and swept it away with his ice and staff. A few moments later, Jack saw Sandman rushing to the scene, whips of dream-sand bared. He blinked in surprise, a small "?!" forming over his head alongside a snowflake, the symbol he generally used for Jack Frost.

Jack tugged up his hood, relying on the night to keep his condition hidden "I-I just touched it and... It just happened..."

Sandy then allowed a smaller, dream-sand replica of a Nightmare to float over his head. That typically meant Pitch.

"No, he's still gone..."

Sandy then made a chair out of dream-sand- two actually. One of them was a psychologist-visit style lounging chair. Jack leapt away "Nu-uh I'm not crazy!" Sandy pushed him into it with a hand of dream-sand and a small roll of his eyes. Jack shot right back up "I'm telling you Sandy I'm not-"

Sandman very calmly raised his hands and mimed talking with them. Jack flew back down "You just wanna talk?" Sandy pointed at him.

"Okay, so you want _me_ to talk."

He nodded. A small frowny face appeared above Sandman's head, and then a thermometer was added. Jack silently cursed himself for thinking that he wouldn't notice. He settled down on the dream-sand, folding his stiff arms and wondering what to say. He glanced at Sandy, who gave a small wave and an encouraging smile.

Another voice from the house below, a little girl: "Mommy I see a weird guy on the roof!"

"Sophie, no one's on the roof."

"But he was sitting on a stick like a little birdy and his hair was white!"

"Sis, you KNOW that Jack Frost doesn't exist. I was just playing around those few years ago."

"But Jamie I swear it was him!"

"Jack Frost isn't real Sophie."

Jack felt like someone had just stabbed him. Again. Repeatedly. Without an ounce of remorse. He stared ahead with a broken and vacant look, tears leaking out of his eyes. He didn't even move, becoming a lifeless statue that just let every tear fall as if it wasn't there.

Sandy looked away, folding his arms in his lap. He then made a little clock and a question mark with his dream-sand. Jack didn't reply, continuing to stare at the sky with such a broken hearted gaze. The dream-sand he sat on was starting to corrupt into nightmare-sand. Sandy then very carefully restored the corrupted sand, nudging Jack's shoulder and making his question a little bigger.

Jack blinked, as if he suddenly noticed what was going on, then croaked "Today. He stopped today."

Sandy patted his shoulder, but he brushed it off "It was going to happen eventually." He coughed violently, doubling over. Sandman reached after him as he flew off, saying simply "I'm gonna go see Bunny..."

...

Bunnymund was carefully painting an egg, ensuring every little stripe and color was just right. After all, every little egg he worked on was his life's one devotion. He mumbled to himself "Maybe I should go out and find some hiding spots. Let 'em dry a bit." He painted a swirl-

He twitched lightly as he recognized the air growing colder. He stopped, blinking in confusion and wondering how anyone entered his Warren. He sealed off the exits... "Aw bloody hell..." He groaned when he remembered that he always kept at least one entrance open for emergencies.

He sighed as frost began creeping on the lush and green environment, then yelled "Frost I'm working! Easter is in a week or so, and, while I appreciate company, I think you can wait until after it."

He heard Jack coughing, and rolled his eyes "Don't play sick ya bugger, I don't wanna see anyone right now."

Jack was hiding in the higher regions of Bunnymund's Warren, clutching his staff and feeling lonely. After all, they had become friendly enough to begrudgingly call each other friends after the battles with Pitch. Bunny heard his sniffling, and called over to him again "Listen, mate, I understand you may want to hang around with me, but I'm very busy right now."

"Too busy to even mourn?" Jack said softly.

Before Bunny could even reply, he flew off again.

...

Much later, there was reports of Aurora Borealis reaching all the way down to the equator. Scientists were scratching their heads at the odd event, eventually deciding to attribute it to a freak solar storm.

Little did they know that there was a meeting busily under way at the North Pole.

"So, Frost is dying?" North said, pacing around with his sabers resting on his shoulders and hands. Tooth nodded. Sandy and Bunnymund both shifted uncomfortably. North took another look around, then said impatiently "Where is he?!"

"Ah, 'bout that..." Bunny said with a nervous laugh. He shifted around when everyone looked at him, then he said "Well 'scuse me for not getting the memo! I thought he was just messin' around like always!"

Tooth hovered anxiously "Oh Bunny! Did you- Did you say something hurtful?! You know what he does when-"

"Well sorry! The coward didn't even let me see him!" Bunnymund bit back "If he was really injured, he would've shown me and I would've helped him in a heartbeat!"

Sandy very calmly put some dream-sand between them as a signal that fighting wouldn't solve anything. North nodded "Sandy is right, if we bicker like children we won't help Jack. Now, Bunny, where is he?"

Bunnymund shrugged "He flew off." Soon after was worried chattering and brainstorming.

The moon suddenly glowed brighter, and everyone quieted. The very prism at had displayed Jack's image so long ago rose out of the ground, the moonbeams focusing themselves through it and pointing a beam of light at the globe.

It was pointing at the Middle East where lights were fading out one by one.

* * *

AFTER POPULAR DEMAND I AM CONTINUING. TO DAH~ To happy news I have now officially seen the movie, LOVE IT!


	3. Coercion

"This storm is the most record breaking storm in the history of the Middle East! Perhaps even the world! The winds, the rain, it's higher than most Indian monsoons!" A young female reporter yelled into her microphone to be heard among the screaming and yelling wind "We're getting absolutely flooded and I can barely stand! Jim, do we have anything from the world's top meteorologists?!"

She paused, one hand held to her headset so she could hear, then sighed with relief as there was a signal that she was off air. "God, what is causing this?"

Meanwhile, far above in the eye of this storm, was Jack Frost. He looked grim as he observed what he was causing. Honestly he was hoping for a blizzard, but a practical _hurricane_ would do for now.

And yet he still didn't feel any better.

Rather, he felt WORSE.

He flew around some more, idly and apathetically watching the chaos and destruction his storm caused. Already there were reporters from around the world, each one vying to be the news station that got the most coverage of the "Middle Monsoon", as it had been dubbed.

He went right up behind a reporter and screamed "I'M CAUSING THIS! _ME!_ JACK FROST! AND I'M NOT LETTING UP UNTIL YOU START BELIEVING IN ME!" He repeated his message even when his throat became raw and hoarse from yelling and coughing. Some reporters would look behind them, as if they were aware of him, but then would say otherwise. One even told their crew "Ha ha very funny guys, there isn't a wailing ghost behind me."

Jack was ready to scream even more and rip his hair out. He was still dying, he was still sick, why wasn't anyone believing in him?! They were letting him die! They were going on, blissfully ignorant of a life withering away before their very eyes! He soared above the clouds, pausing in the still night air above to glare at the moon. "WHY IS NO ONE BELIEVING ME?!" He shrieked "WHY?!"

He paused upon hearing bells. He turned to find North and the others approaching on his sleigh. "Oh, so NOW YOU COME?!" Jack yelled at them "NOW, WHEN I'M ALMOST DEAD?!"

North had to swerve to avoid the bitter ice that followed. Sandy quickly sent over dream-sand, but Jack dodged it "YOU'RE AGREEING TO KILL ME, HUH?! SURE, KILL THE GUY WHO _SAVED_ YOU!" He couldn't contain his rage against the world now that he let go of it.

Tooth flew out "No! Jack, we want to help...!"

Jack didn't know how to respond, so he angrily sent another blast "Could've said that earlier!"

North stood, drawing both his swords and letting Bunnymund take the reins "FROST! STAND DOWN RIGHT NOW!"

Jack faltered again. North had never yelled at him like that. But why should he be yelling when Jack was doing what anything with a life would- lashing out in an attempt to stay alive? They still didn't understand, they still didn't think he was right.

Jack straightened himself like a pole and shot beneath the clouds.

Tooth followed close after him in a blur of blue-green "JACK!"

Sandy drifted down with armfuls of dream-sand ready to anesthetize Jack.

North and Bunny circled above the clouds, reluctant to send the sleigh below, then dived into the storm.

Jack was now weaving around the rain, using the wind and pelting droplets to his advantage. This didn't halt Toothiana at all, and she continued shooting after him "JACK FROST! DO YOU REALIZE HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE WAKING UP WITHOUT PRESENTS UNDER THEIR PILLOW?!"

Jack sent a chilled blast after her "STILL ABOUT TEETH, HUH?!"

Tooth barely dodged the blast, but she couldn't help but squeal as her hands were almost burned with the cold. This caused Jack to pause even more. What did he just do?

He was whirled around as North's sleigh hurtled past, getting a bare nick- well, more like a cut, but it was just in his shoulder, not bleeding that much -from a blade and a sudden flash from one of Bunnymund's grenades. _Just a flash, nothing much, he's holding back,_ he quickly reassured himself, _you're still gonna live_.

Another yell boomed over the thunder "JACK! THIS IS NOT THE WAY! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!"

With his vision still blurring and spotty, he froze up... something "YEAH! THE ONES THAT DON'T BELIEVE ME!"

This time he felt a boomerang whirl maybe a little too close to his head "THIS STILL ISN'T RIGHT!"

"JACK! FIND YOUR CENTER!"

He gripped his head, trying so hard to stay afloat. His wind was dying away with his thoughts: not hit with dream-sand, per say, but more of going under from his own emotion. His anger was consuming him, his grief for the only person who he felt could mourn for him was dragging even more away. He heard a voice in his head, Pitch, whispering right into his very consciousness "_Darkness and cold go very well together..."_

He felt himself fall, conveniently dodging a golden blast, then recovered. He swooped away, retreating and calling off the storm "Wind! You know where to go!"

Sandy followed him, but halted when North called him back. He flew over, finding Bunny clutching Tooth, who was shivering and covered in a thick layer of frost.

...

Jack crashed somewhere in the Arctic. The snow was such a welcome relief to him and he buried himself in it, curling up and shivering with dry sobs. What was he doing? Surviving. What was he thinking? Living. Why was he hurting? Nothing much else he could do...

Right?

The desolation and destruction he had caused finally registered, and he knocked his stiff and hard hands against his head "Ugh! You IDIOT! What made you think a storm would convince them? A storm?! At your power level?!" He stopped berating himself to cough.

Now his fatigue registered. He was tired... so tired... The storm had sapped away more of his precious time. He clawed out a small hole in the snow, gazing at the moon again.

"Please tell me... that this isn't part of your plan..."

* * *

Uh oh, what's in store for our little Frost-y? He's slowly slippin' and sliding around the slippery slope known as villainy because of desperation, that's what.


	4. Found

Tooth sorely brought North's thick coat closer around her "Oh... I can't believe he did that..." She started rubbing one bandaged and blistering hand, but Bunnymund quickly grabbed it and placed it to her side "Tooth, that'll only make it worse."

She glared at him half-heartedly, then moaned "Oh, no teeth collecting for months... Those poor little pearly whites..." She sneezed, then whistled for a few of her fairies and began relaying instructions. She had been working more on making them independent, but this setback was going to need more effort on their part.

North frowned, sighing and shaking his head. Tooth- having become frostnipped by Jack's assault -was now out of the equation. Or maybe she was still in it, just playing a lesser role. Either way, who knew what was going to happen to them now? The world was in an absolute panic, and it wouldn't be long before Pitch was being troublesome again... North sighed frustratedly again, still pacing, racking his mind for some kind of plan if they lost Jack.

He paced a little more, then inclined his head as a Yeti started babbling to him. Something about blood in the snow...

Not wasting any time, he quickly grabbed his coat from Tooth and replaced it with a thick blanket. Bunny stopped painting and dyeing his egg to ask "Hey, what's goin' on?"

"The Yetis have found blood in the snow. I will investigate while you care for Toothiana." he pointed a sword at Sandy "Make sure things run smoothly. You are in charge."

He waved a group of yetis over, bellowing "Come! We search for Frost!"

...

Jack was shuddering from a lot more than tears now. For the first time in his life as Jack Frost he felt cold. REALLY cold. Not to mention his bloody shoulder was starting to ache. He tapped the area, wincing lightly and fearfully noting it was becoming a blood slushie. He grimaced as he decided to freeze off a barrier, hoping the chill wouldn't spread too badly, hoping hard that he was still invulnerable to the cold. He grabbed snow and made himself a better fort, curling up for warmth and security. He grabbed his hoodie and quickly managed to cover his wound better, but it didn't really help.

He lifted a frost-bitten finger to doodle with frost on the snow. "Sandy... Bunny... North... Tooth... I'm sorry..." he sighed. He smiled vaguely, feeling an odd sense of calm from the frosty pictures. "Well, you should probably start calling me the Guardian of Screwing Up now..." He frowned again, the fuzzy feeling of happiness fading just as fast as a candle would in these conditions.

"You do such a lovely job of instilling fear, you know, maybe you're a different kind of Guardian."

Jack froze. He knew that voice. He knew that voice far too well. Without thinking much, acting entirely on impulse, he gathered the snow around him, then unleashed it in a cold blast of fury "LEAVE ME ALONE PITCH!"

The boogie man laughed as he dodged it "Oh admit it, you've sent the whole world into a panic! The end is near because of you Jack!" The whole area seemed to darken, clouds covering the sun and whirlwinds picking up. "I haven't felt this great in years!" Jack clutched his staff "Just back off and leave me alone."

Pitch only gathered some more nightmare-sand "Well it's true you know... That storm has sent everyone in the world into a panic from the unnatural circumstances. The unknown is the best fear aroun-"

He stopped abruptly when Jack hurled a snowball into his face. He then said very dryly "Oh I'm so _scared_ Frost..."

Jack laughed coldly "Oh, YOU'RE scared? You try DYING!"

Jack started pacing around "You try struggling to grasp WHY you're suddenly getting tossed aside in the world!"

"I've tried. It's so hard to, isn't it?" Pitch replied simply "Of course, your fear has shifted. You don't think they could ever forgive you for this," Jack froze a wave of nightmare-sand "you know you're dying and they don't believe you," He was almost surrounded now "And I'll have enough fear to ride out for centuries to come."

"Oh, at least you don't die." Jack spat "At least YOU can live if they stop believing again." Jack felt his anger escalating and his emotions overtaking him again at the unfairness of it all. He didn't notice the nightmare-sand that started creeping around him, just as responsive as his frost and ice "When they don't believe, you just become a big pile of NOTHING." Pitch was leaning away from Jack, who was now right up in his face "You're pathetic at your core, you're pathetic no matter what you do." He felt the nightmare-sand bending to his will, and he tightened his fist around it "Nothing. You become NOTHING. Nobody. No one. A joke." Pitch was starting to look nervous.

"Me? I DIE. I don't get to live at all just because people don't believe me." He then pushed Pitch with his staff "So how about this nothing in front of me just vanishes?" He then growled right in Pitch's face "I'm nothing like you, and I'll NEVER join you, so get the hell out of my sight."

He then laughed a little "By the way, I think I know what YOU'RE afraid of." He grinned evilly, the nightmare-sand giving his unnaturally pale skin an even more hollowed, skull-like look "Boo."

Pitch vanished into shadows, very aware of how well Jack Frost could kick his behind even at the barest of power.

Jack sank back into the snow, aware of how some nightmare-sand still clung to his sickly frame. He sighed, and grasped his staff and leaned against it as a chill wind blew harshly against him. He waved his staff, letting the snow arrange itself in a small fort again, grateful he still had those powers. He shivered in the cold, trying to stay awake despite his heavy-as-lead eyelids.

He brushed away the sand, irritated how it seemed to flock to him now "Go join your cowardly master, you stupid dirt." his voice became fainter, slower "Go... away..." his fatigue was really getting to him now "Let me... die... in peace..."

He heard some voices- panicked, calling out for him -just as he tumbled into the snow and lost consciousness.

* * *

Oh noes! What is in store for our dear little Jack now? I'm not saying }=3


End file.
